


No One Left Behind

by thisnthat



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, F/M, Fluff, Post-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Slow Burn, Suicide mention, connor/hank if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-25 07:52:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15636441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisnthat/pseuds/thisnthat
Summary: After the success of the revolution lead by Markus, Detroit finally became a safe haven for all androids. How Detroit would be run now, however, was still in heated debate. Many humans evacuated while others decided to stay and live alongside the androids. Others still continued to fight and protest. The suddenness of it all also left many humans and androids out of the loop, entirely unaware that a war had even occurred, let alone ended. Some select humans and androids working for Markus’ new organization, simply titled “Jericho,” paired up to methodically sweep the city for stragglers not in the know and to free any androids still held in captivity.The most successful pair is Rene, a KL900, and Jesse, a human who used to walk dogs.





	1. Calm Before the Storm

The snowstorm raging across the city forces Jesse and Rene to seek shelter in a nearby diner. Working outdoors as a search-and-rescue team is far from comfortable in the cold, windy city of Detroit. Especially during the winter. A large snow jacket, layers of warm clothes, and thick work boots usually serve Jesse well enough, but the wind proved too inhibiting this afternoon. Even Rene had to admit the snow was starting to affect her, but she knew Jesse would hate to hear an android complain about something like the weather. 

They shouldn’t be surprised to find the diner almost entirely empty, considering how many humans had either evacuated or gone into hiding. Luckily, the building was still in good order and well stocked. Markus sure as hell ran an efficient revolution. Though, the more Jesse thought about it, there wouldn’t be much of a reason for androids to loot and most humans were too terrified to stick around. The lights are all still on and ceiling fans spin slowly overhead while a radio plays music from a station a few towns over. It could have been another normal day in Detroit if this diner’s atmosphere had anything to say about it. The only other patrons were two men: a well-kept android in a black suit and a horrifically unkempt human with ragged grey hair and an equally ragged grey beard.

Jesse moves to sit in a corner booth far from the two men after stomping the snow off her boots, only to realize Rene has already gone to greet them. With a sigh she jogs over to join her. Rene did fantastic work with helping those they found around town, but something about this man screamed “leave me alone” to Jesse.

“Hello, my name is Rene. Are you also waiting out the storm?” Rene asks the two men.

“Hello, Rene, I’m Connor,” the android reaches his hand out for an awkward handshake, “And this is my partner, Hank.”

Hank gruffs toward Rene without looking up from his drink. Jesse approaches them, struggling to remove at least one layer of jackets now that they are safe from the snow. The sound of her grunting causes Hank to, at the least, shift his eyes toward them. 

“Connor, help the young lady with her jacket,” he chuckles.

“Of course,” Connor replies, immediately assisting her.

Freed of her constricting garment, Jesse heaves a sigh and sits at the counter. 

“To answer your question, no. We come here often to ‘hang out,’” Connor responds to Rene.

She nods, pleased to hear about another fellow android with a human friend. Rene always considers herself lucky for the work she had before the revolution. Though difficult at times, the humans she cared for always shared how much they appreciated her efforts. She had always felt respected, that is until the video of Markus’ speech declaring deviants’ intentions to fight for their place in the world. That’s when her clients suddenly began snapping at her, refusing her assistance in any form. Even her human coworkers began to fear her. She figured she had been deviant for a long time, but simply enjoyed her work too much to leave. Not until the children she had spent years caring for turned on her did she finally make her way to Jericho.

“You cops?” Jesse asks, lifting an eyebrow incredulously.

Connor’s LED turns yellow as he considers how to answer. Yes, they are cops but…well Detroit wasn’t technically part of America anymore so who knows what laws he is meant to enforce. Hank laughs deeply as he watches his partner struggle with their paradoxical predicament.

“We were, but who cares now?” Hank asks.

“Good enough,” Jesse responds.

She hops over the counter, rifling through the alcohol and placing a few bottles on the counter before moving to the kitchen to search for any edible food. Rene smiles, watching Jesse scamper about like a squirrel late in preparing for winter. Hank darts his eyes between the two women, then turns to Rene.

“She your friend?” he asks.

Connor sits in his seat, eagerly awaiting Rene’s answer. She smiles wide, her LED running yellow as she remembers her friendship with Jesse in entirety. It was one of Jesse’s own dogs that found her. A stealth mission for Jericho gone wrong. Jesse struggled to pull Rene from the lakeshore, but with the help of her pack eventually managed to get her home. In time, they were able to repair her together and off Rene went. Not long after, of course, Rene returned to Jesse’s home with more androids that couldn’t make it all the way to Jericho for repairs. Jesse would always pretend to be annoyed, but Rene could tell she was glad to help. 

“My best friend,” she nods.

Crinkling plastic packaging signals the successful return of Jesse, carrying an armful of preserved junk foods and only somewhat stale pastries. With a pleased sigh she spreads her bounty out across the counter and hops back over to her seat. Hank eyes the snacks, earning a smile from Jesse.

“Go ahead,” Jesse says.

He immediately rips open a pack of cupcakes, offering a quick thanks. Connor’s LED spins yellow as he watches Hank devour the treats, calculating all the nutritional values… or lack thereof. 

“Hank, if you were hungry you should have told me. I will bring you better food,” Connor insists.

“Can it, Weight Watcher,” Hank scolds.

Conner shakes his head, sitting back down. He knows better than to fight with Hank when it comes to food. Rene sits next to Jesse, inspecting the variety of foods. The humans staying in the city will need to find a way to feed themselves now that the American government has completely evacuated and closed the city off from all outside interference. A frown pulls at her lips as she considers the possibility of no humans being able to survive in this new Detroit. Jesse’s now sugarcoated hand reaches out for Rene’s to offer some reassurance. They’ve had this conversation before.

“So, what brings you two out here in the middle of a snow storm?” Hank asks.

“We’re part of the search-and-rescue team, Unit 016,” Jesse sputters through her full mouth.

“The what?” He asks.

“Ah! The teams sent by Jericho to sweep the city for any lost humans or androids,” Connor explains.

Hank furrows his brow. Without a station to report to and gather information from, he’s been struggling to stay on top of the goings-on of the city. For once, Connor knew more than him. Normally he’d be angry, but he’s genuinely proud of how well Connor has adapted to, for lack of a better term, humanity. 

“We are looking for an android who was hiding in this area before the revolution,” Connor continues, “We have reason to believe he could be dangerous, you may want to leave this to us.”

Rene’s LED flashes red while Jesse lets out a loud guffaw. Simultaneously they quick draw their pistols; a routine they’ve practiced together many times. Connor flinches away. Hank eases a now very worried Connor with a gentle pat and gently soothes him, attempting to hide his laughter as the two women holster their guns.

“Sorry, Connor, it was just for show,” Rene reassures him.

“Of course,” he forces an awkward smile.

The snowstorm settles outside, enough for Rene to point it out to Jesse. With a quick nod to Rene, Jesse begins shoveling leftover foodstuffs into her bag. She leaves half, gesturing for Hank to take the rest.

“We'll be fine,” Jesse says, “what about y’all?”

“We have a place to lie low,” Hank says.

“If you ever need help, please, contact us,” Rene says, offering her hand to Connor.

The two androids exchange information. Hank gives a low whistle, always impressed by how simply androids communicate. 

“I remember when you used to have to write your name and number down on paper to give someone,” he jokes.

“Gross,” Jesse teases back.

With Connor’s help, Jesse slips back into her snow jacket and exits the diner with Rene. Hank waves goodbye until they disappear around the corner.

“Think we should keep an eye on them?” Hank asks.

“If everything Rene showed me in our exchange is true, then I am certain they are well equipped,” Connor responds.

Hank nods, finishing his drink and sinking into Connor for a quick nap. Connor hates it when he traps him like that.


	2. Haunted House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> going to be updating once a week actually. working on another chaptered fic for The Boy and two other smut fics and two monster of the week campaigns so... im in wip hell. but this is my fav rn so it will def be a priority <3

Trudging through the snow, Rene guides her and Jesse to the abandoned house Connor mentioned containing a particularly difficult deviant. The afternoon sun overhead provides little warmth to an already exhausted Jesse. 

“They didn’t equip you with a flamethrower to clear all this damned snow by chance, did they?” she asks.

“Could you imagine,” Rene laughs.

They stop for a moment at the securely locked chain-link gate, now plastered with signage reading “CONDEMNED.” Jesse leans against the gate, peering through the cracks to catch a glimpse of the other side. Not much but more snow and trash.

“Maybe you should allow me,” Rene suggests.

Jesse rolls her eyes, stepping aside to let Rene have a look. Of course she knows Rene is far better equipped for scouting, but Jesse wasn’t about to take the back seat in their adventures. She shudders to think of the many times she was all that stood between Rene and certain death. If she had decided to leave it all up to Rene…Jesse shakes her head, it’s better not to think about the worst-case scenario of an event already passed.  
Rene investigates the wide variety of trash on the other side, scanning for anything dangerous or of useful information. Satisfied, she shoves the gate open, snapping the lock. A perk of Jesse's mechanical magic removing some of the strength failsafe’s in her programming. 

“That a girl,” Jesse claps her on the back, following her inside.

Light snowfall adds a rustic charm to the otherwise dreary lot. An abandoned car rests on one side with a variety of debris littering every corner of the lot. Rene stops before the back wall, aghast. Finished inspecting an old car battery, Jesse notices Rene frozen in place. She walks over, placing a hand on Rene’s shoulder.

“What is it?” Jesse asks, eyes following Rene’s gaze.

Smeared in blue blood, the wall reads “DEATH TO ANDROIDS.” Her eyes fall to see an android, burned and beaten with blood leaking from a series of gashes all around. He’s been dead a long time.

“You're okay,” Jesse says, turning Rene away from the gruesome scene.

A deep frown crosses Rene's face as her LED flashes yellow. No matter how many times they see the cruelty of humans, it never gets any easier. At least she could trust Jesse. It took a long time for her to fully trust her, but when the opportunity to help the humans in their hunt for androids or be taken to a prison camp arrived, Jesse fought tooth and nail. All Rene could do was care for her dogs until she returned, and when she did…she wasn’t quite the same. But the dogs helped, and so did all the many androids she had cared for at Jericho. Jesse knows the cruelty of humans well.

“We can’t leave him like this,” Jesse says.

Rene nods. She remembers the few times she witnessed the death of humans. The first time was a suicidal client. Seeing his lifeless body is what first instilled a fear of failure within her, a fear of death. She called for her human supervisor, unsure of how to handle his body. Within minutes the room was full of humans, busily cleaning the mess and preparing his body. She watched with awe, especially when his assigned therapist reached out to squeeze his hand. A gesture meaningless to him now, but somehow comforting to the living. Mourning is a new experience for androids, but one Rene hopes humans will be willing to help them through. After all, humans have centuries of experience.  
Jesse lays the deceased android on the ground, crossing his arms over his body. She drapes an old tarp across his form, tucking it around him. 

“We’ll see if Jericho can spare the time to send some folks to collect him. There’s nowhere to bury him here,” she sighs.

Together, her and Rene use old clothes drenched in slush to wipe away the vile mantra written on the wall. An attempt at peace, Rene assumes, that humans are always pleading for. Jesse leans on Rene, finding comfort in her support.

“I’m sure it all seems silly to you,” Jesse laughs, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Not at all,” Rene insists, “It is new to me, but I do understand.”

“That’s right, ‘you are alive,’” Jesse chuckles, fidgeting with her own beanie and scratching at the back of her neck.

They linger for a moment of silence. Jesse clasps her hands, releasing a long breath and makes her way toward the abandoned house. Rene follows, scanning for a way through the chain-link. 

“It looks rusted, I could easily pull it down,” Rene says, LED spinning yellow.

Jesse shakes her head and pushes a piece of fencing that had already been cut.

“Or that,” Rene shrugs.

The house is dilapidated and covered in vines and graffiti. Patches of dead grass stick out from the snowdrifts. Snow covers most of the building, hiding the worst of its structural issues and adding a far more ominous look to its empty, black windows and gaps in the walls. Storm clouds moved to cover the sun, making Jesse struggle to make sense of anything within as she peaks through boarded up windows into the dark interior. Even Rene fails to scan the inside with so little light. They trudge around to the front door and exchange a quick glance. Rene leans in, anticipating Jesse to know what to do.

“Oh! I guess we knock,” Jesse says.

The door creaks open the moment her fist knocks against it. Jesse shivers away, bumping into Rene.

“That’s so creepy,” Jesse gasps, “You go first.”

Rene rolls her eyes and steps into the house with Jesse holding tight to her shoulders from behind, peaking around her anxiously.  
With the bit of light shining in from the doorway they are able to just make out the outlines of various furniture and a staircase. Rene spots a fireplace and immediately moves toward it to start a fire. The added light will help their search and, Rene hopes, calm Jesse’s nerves. The small fire does assuage Jesse’s fears as she watches the light dance across the room. A broken chair by the table and a bunch of tipped over boxes piques Rene’s interest as she goes about scanning the now well-lit room. Jesse finds a candle and lights it, offering to search the next room. 

With only the candlelight to guide her, Jesse catches herself shivering again. She shakes her head, _toughen up, you’ve done way scary stuff than this._ Touching along the walls of the now identified kitchen, she comes across a series of carvings in the wall. Upon closer inspection she discovers the carvings read “rA9” over and over with a few scatted “I am alive.” 

“A deviant definitely lived here,” Jesse calls out to Rene.

“Good to know,” Rene responds.

Not much else catches Jesse’s eye in the kitchen besides some old magazine advertisements and an oddly clean kitchen knife standing out against the otherwise filthy kitchen counter. Satisfied, Jesse decides to make her way upstairs with Rene. They split up, Jesse checking the old bedroom and Rene the bathroom. 

Rene goes through the medicine cabinet only to find a few empty pill bottles and a pair of scissors resting in the sink. She shakes her head, placing the scissors inside the cabinet and closing the door. Through the mirror she catches a glimpse of the bathtub cloaked behind a shower curtain. Pursing her lips with curiosity, Rene pulls the curtain back to look within.  
She finds a basic tub; surprisingly clean despite various stains along the floor and coating the rest of the room and walls. Sighing she goes about checking the rest of the room.

Jesse mouths “score” as she pulls a new jacket from the dresser and slings it over her shoulder for later. She gives the room a quick once over, determining there’s nothing else of interest and no possible hiding places. She hops down the stairs, ruling out the impulse to slide down the rickety banister.  
A sudden noise, like a rat scampering, draws her attention to the kitchen.

“Hey Rene, I’m going to check the kitchen again, I thought I heard something,” she calls out.

“Have fun,” Rene calls back from upstairs.

Putting the jacket over the back of an upsettingly soggy sofa, Jesse makes her way into the kitchen. Everything sits as she remembers. She huffs, standing in the middle with the candle resting loosely in her hand. She moves toward the cabinets above the counter to check for critters, or maybe some snacks.  
Resting the candle on the counter she notices the knife is no longer there.

“Rene, did you grab the knife?”

“The what?”

Cold steel presses against Jesse’s throat, silencing her next words. Her eyes widen in terror as she struggles to hold her breath.

A deep, broken voice breathes next to her ear, “Ralph doesn’t trust visitors.”


End file.
